If you loved Poster Boy on the racetrack, there’s another chapter brewing.
The former star Victorian pacer is leading an exciting revolution for “colonial” stallions. Not only was the son of Somebeachsomewhere (out of Artsplace mare Aston Villa) a star on the track, but he is regally bred.
“If he’d raced in the US and retired over there with his record, he’d have been the next big thing,” leading owner/breeder Peter Gleeson said.
Poster Boy raced just 30 times for 22 wins and seven placings. Along with his five Group 1 wins, including the Victoria Derby and Chariots Of Fire, Poster Boy also finished third in the 2019 Miracle Mile at four.
Breeding is a cut-throat game, especially for local stars trying to make a name at stud, so having a strong and immediate impact was always going to be crucial. Poster Boy has done that in spades. Last year, he boasted 23 individual winners from his first crop, more than double any first season Australian-bred sire before that.
Since Harness Racing Australia started keeping records in the 2002-03 season, the previous best was 11 individual winners by Bling It On (2021) and Vincent (2022).
Dr Kath McIntosh, principal of Llowalong Farms where Poster Boy stands said: “It’s exciting. We’ve had to build a whole new mindset, but look what he’s done with largely non-commercial mares.
“Now, I’m declining bookings because he’s in such demand. I’m really excited about the next few years.”
Remarkably, other “new - bies” Soho Tribeca (17 individual winners) and The Storm Inside (11) also broke or equalled the record last season.
Last year’s Nutrien two-year-old colts and geldings’ final was where Poster Boy first made his impact through the brilliant win of The Highlight Reel. Just for good measure, another of his sons Cigano ran fourth, too. A year later, and The Highlight Reel and Cigano are back strutting their stuff again tonight.
Joining them is the exciting Its Confidential, who ran sixth in last year’s two-year-old final and has since taken his record to eight wins from just 12 starts for trainer Russell Jack.
The Highlight Reel, who boasts six wins from 10 starts and $294,300 in earnings, and Cigano (four wins from six starts) were part of a stunning Emma Stewart and Clayton Tonkin clean sweep of the Nutrien qualifying heats at Melton last Friday.
The Storm Inside will also be strongly represented by the talented Storms Collide, who chased home The Highlight Reel in last year’s two-year-old final and did the same in last Friday’s heat of the three-year-old series.